Canberra Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong’s “pub in a club” is the centrepiece of its ground-floor overhaul. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
After two years of planning and a year of construction, Canberra Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong has emerged from its long-awaited transformation, lighter, larger, and ready to reclaim its place as a favourite gathering spot in the south.
The entire ground floor has been refurbished, but the headliner is the new ‘Southbound’ — a sprawling 450 sqm ‘pub in a club’ inspired by Battery House at Sydney’s Dee Why RSL.
Its crowning glory is a 100 sqm skylight that floods the space with natural light, come rain, hail or shine.
“We originally envisaged an outdoor area, but got some expert advice that told us, realistically, the space would only be comfortably usable in Canberra’s climate for about 28 days a year,” CEO Matt Walshe said.
“With its massive skylight cut right out of the centre, it almost feels like you’re sitting in an outdoor garden pub. Natural light floods the area, there’s lots of greenery and great background music, so it has a fantastic vibe, and one we can enjoy year-round.”
A mix of low and high tables, cosy booth seating, and a massive 5.5-metre LED sports screen, as well as several other screens dotted around, complete the space, which will host lots of live entertainment throughout the week.
The club’s overall configuration remains characterised by diverse, interconnected spaces, each offering a different experience, and all radiating around a central kitchen and bar hub.
“We always felt we got that part right,” Matt says.
“The idea is you can circle this hub, check out each space, and settle where the vibe is right.
“It makes this club so clearly a space for everyone.”
Each space has its own personality. Those craving a relaxed café vibe can linger over coffee and light bites in the café space. Families gravitate toward Henry’s Family Restaurant, where a playground and the Scoop Lab keep kids happily occupied. Southbound is the go-to for mates settling in to watch the Raiders play over a few drinks, while the Terrace offers an intimate corner with your choice of table service, mood lighting and plush furnishings perfect for a quieter night out.
First opened in 1987, Tuggeranong was next in line for an overhaul, following Canberra Southern Cross Club’s Woden venue in 2018 and the launch of Snapper & Co in 2022.
Matt says that while the club is always striving for improvement across all its venues for its members, Tuggeranong, in particular, has answered a call in the south.
“We noticed a shortage of pub-style dining spaces in the district, and a lot of people needed to go to Woden, Braddon or Civic for it,” he says.
“We also know that of our 80,000-strong membership, 22,000 are south side, and they wanted to see some investment in Tuggeranong.
“It’s a place in the south where you can come as you are, find your corner and enjoy the company you’re in.”
For more information, visit Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong.
